RESPECT
by Enthusiastic Fish
Summary: Oneshot, written for the NFA Road Rage Challenge in which we were to construct a dialogue only scene centered around being stuck in a car for whatever reason... so, Tim and Ziva are stuck in a car... for whatever reason. Give it a read! It's not angsty!


**A/N:** Written for the NFA Road Rage Challenge. The idea was to write a fic with only dialogue and nothing else, based around being stuck in a car for whatever reason. So, Tim and Ziva are stuck in a car... for whatever reason. Oneshot.

**Disclaimer:**I own nothing of NCIS... but I'm still a nice person. :)

* * *

**R-E-S-P-E-C-T**

"No."

"Come on, McGee! What else will we do?"

"Sit quietly and contemplate the infinite?"

"No."

"How could there be a traffic jam in the middle of nowhere?"

"I suppose even tractors may crash every so often."

"McGee, I refuse to sit in silence while you sit and sulk."

"I'm not sulking! I'm just not in the mood to talk about it."

"That's sulking!"

"No! That's keeping things to myself, which is something I think you know a lot about."

"You would really prefer me to leave you alone, McGee?"

"Between that and the alternative, yes, I think I would. I really don't think you should hold up this weekend as a support for your cause."

---

"McGee..."

"No. I will _not_ talk about it! I don't think it will be good for me and I don't think I could possibly feel better by going over it yet again!"

"No, the, uh, the cars are moving again."

"Oh..."

"So, how long do we have now?"

"Hours."

"More specific?"

"You're the expert in all things, why don't you just figure it out yourself? I'm sure there's a map in the glove compartment."

"Do you _really_ want me to respond to that comment as it deserves to be?"

"At this point, I'm not sure I really care. Gibbs is going to kill me no matter what happens when we get back. Actually, he may skip over the 'kill' part and go right into fire. So, just let me drive."

---

"It wasn't your fault, McGee."

"Yeah, I'm aware of that, but that doesn't really matter now does it? The end result is the same and I can't believe that Gibbs will care whether or not I was forced into it or did so voluntarily."

"How much of this is about being mad at the situation and how much is being mad at me?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it!"

"I think you need to."

"I don't really care what _you_ think!"

"Why not?"

"Because... you were right, but you did everything wrong. But that doesn't matter because _I'm_ the one who paid for it. I'm _always_ the one who has to suffer for it. You know what? It doesn't matter. Never mind. I'm sick of talking about it."

"You haven't talked. You have sulked."

---

"You haven't said a word in over an hour, McGee."

---

"I didn't leave you behind."

"Really? What would you call it?"

"I was being practical. I knew that you wouldn't be hurt by a few hours of restraint. They would be distracted and I could get to them more easily that way."

"Right, Little Miss Perfect saves the day again while McGeek sits around on his hands."

"What does that mean? Sit on your hands?"

"Can you do anything while sitting on your hands?"

"No."

"Exactly."

"Although, I could probably..."

"Don't even start."

---

"How much longer?"

"A couple more hours, provided we don't run into anymore tractors."

"Was that a joke, McGee?"

"No."

"No need to be sullen."

"You know what? Forget it. I'm done. I'll walk the rest of the way."

"McGee, get back in the car."

---

"McGee! We still have more than 100 miles left before we get back."

"I'd prefer to be left alone, thank you."

"Are you always this touchy, McGee?"

"Only when I feel betrayed."

"McGee..."

"No! This time, we were supposed to be working _together_!"

"We were."

"No! Working together does not involve pretending to be interested in your partner in order to get him kidnaped! Working together involves trust and respect, neither of which you have deigned to grace upon me."

"Is that what you think? That I was pretending?"

"You as good as admitted it. I was sincere. I really meant what I was saying, and I thought you were, too. Instead, two seconds later, you led me out of the bar and straight into their hands. Do you have any idea how that felt? Do you have a clue as to what that meant to me? Or was it just another case for you? You get the bad guy and who cares about the whatever little hurts might have happened to poor wussy McGee on the way."

"That's not what I was thinking."

"Oh? So you thought that putting me in that situation was the _only_ way to get the case resolved?"

"Not the only way, but the fastest way."

"Do you know what would have made all the difference in the world?"

"What?"

"That's just it. You don't know. You don't have a clue."

"Maybe I would, if you actually told me."

"Fine. Here it is, Ziva: Did it ever cross your mind that _I_ might need to know what you planned?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I thought of it while we were in the bar and it had to be implemented quickly; otherwise, we would have lost the opportunity."

"You couldn't have said that you had a plan? That I was going to be taken? That you were going to be pretending that they took you down? That you would still be there?"

"Would that have sufficed?"

"No, but it would have been better than the five hours I spent sitting that jail, thinking you might be dead, wondering what I had done wrong, being tormented by those idiots in human form."

"You feel out of the loop, is that it?"

"No, that's _not_ it! You still don't get it!"

"Well, then, explain it to me, McGee... and get back into the car."

---

"McGee! Come back!"

"It's about being treated as if I were an intelligent fellow agent rather than the comedy relief, Ziva! Not once in the entire trip did you give me that. You act as though I were two years old and completely unable to be of any assistance beyond as your dupe."

"That's not how I think of you, McGee."

"You have a funny way of showing it."

"But I _am_ more experienced than you are."

"Does that preclude giving me respect?"

---

"It's the same as with Benedict. You didn't believe me. You didn't _trust_ that I was telling the truth. I mean, _Tony_ believed me before you did."

"..."

"I suppose now you're thinking how immature I'm being and how much sooner we could be back in D. C. and you could get away from me again."

"That's not what I'm thinking, McGee."

"Oh? Then, what?"

"I'm thinking that I owe you an apology."

"..."

"What? Are you so shocked that I would admit it?"

"Quite frankly, yes."

"McGee, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you would feel that way."

"Great."

"No, I mean that I should have thought about your feelings."

"Yeah, you should have."

"Will you get back into the car now?"

"Yeah."

---

"We're almost there."

"Good."

"McGee?"

"What, Ziva?"

"I was being sincere as well. I really meant what I said."

"..."

"McGee? Did you hear me?"

"Yes..."

"I said I meant it."

"Yes..."

"You said you meant it, too."

"Yes."

"Well?"

"I..."

"McGee, you have made it patently obvious that you are able to speak. I can't imagine that you have somehow lost the facility so quickly. ...or have you changed your mind?"

"No. I haven't."

"Well?"

"Ziva, are you still interested?"

"Interested in what, McGee?"

"In a date? With me?"

"What about Rule 12?"

"Who cares? With my luck, I'll probably be out of a job in another twenty minutes."

"You won't. I explained it to Gibbs."

"When did you do that?"

"When you started walking."

"Oh."

"So?"

"I still don't care."

"Neither do I."

"Thursday after work?"

"Sounds good to me."

---

"And we're back. Well, you couldn't say it wasn't an interesting weekend."

"No, I guess not."

"McGee?"

"What, Ziva?"

"I _do_ trust you."

"Ditto."


End file.
